Wednesday, June 3

The mystery of tiny arrow next to fuel pump icon explained

Here’s a simple question I asked few car owners pointing towards the instrument cluster.

What does a tiny arrow next to the fuel pump icon on your car’s fuel gauge indicate? Along the arc between the F and E is a symbol of a fuel pump. To the left of it is an arrow. What is it for?

I received variety of answers as to what the arrow indicates. About 95% car owners were not aware while some had witty answers to reply.

So, the answer is simple. The arrow indicates to which side of the car the fuel filler cap is on. If the arrow points left, that means the car’s filler cap is on the left side of your car!!

This mystery has gone unnoticed for too long. As it turns out, this little arrow is super helpful. You may be surprised to know, but the majority of new cars from the past couple of decades explicitly tell us which side the fuel tank is on.

So, the next time you visit the fuel station in a car you’ve borrowed or rented, just look at the dashboard fuel gauge and you’ll see a picture of a gas pump with an arrow. Whichever way that arrow points, that’s the side of the car with the filler cap.

This photograph of my 2007 Suzuki Baleno shows the arrow indicating that the fuel filler is on the left.

If you have any pictures you want to share or have any comments on your car gauges and indicator arrows, let us know!

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